When you place a statue in a garden, it becomes a focal point, and the garden becomes the stage on which it rests.
When you place a statue of St. Francis of Assisi in a garden, it becomes a place for contemplation, a place for quiet reflection.
Today, on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, we are reminded of his prayer…
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
That's my dad's favorite prayer (it might be mine too, or it's a close second to the Serenity prayer). St. Francis was such a creative person. You probably already know he's the one who came up with the idea for the creche or nativity scene as a teaching tool. Even though he's not the patron saint of gardeners, he is appropriate for gardens.
YOU'VE been TAGGED! And it is exactly because of posts like this one. My Favorite Prayer. (besides Prayers From the Ark)
http://wolfdancercreek.blogspot.com/2009/10/ive-been-tagged.html
I double dare ya!!
and then, Happy Gardening!
>^,,^<
Amen.
I"m glad I made it here today. I love that prayer, and need to be reminded of it on occasion. Thanks!
This describes you very well Carol. I've seen you show grace in many a post you've written. You give kind words and clever answers to so many seeking their way in the garden. I really would like a statue in my garden so I'll slow down and consider lifting up a prayer.
Carol, we all need to follow St Francis; prayer a little more. What a better world we would live in.
Hope you are enjoying fall in your garden. 🙂
The prayer should be a focal point of our lives.
Amen, Carol.
I had the good fortune several years ago to visit Assisi in Italy. It was a beautiful place with a gorgeous view of the hillside below covered in oleander. After visiting some crowded big cities, it was a welcome relief just to sit and contemplate for awhile.
Such wise words Carol. Francis may be my favorite saint. Thank you for such a lovely post.
such wise and soothing words
St. Francis is important to a garden, I think. He had such a close relationship to nature. He has his own place in my garden, too. Thanks for his verse. I love it.
A wonderful prayer. I'll need to remind my son, as St. Francis is his saint name.
Robin Ripley
Bumblebee
Ah, St. Francis, one of my favorites saints right up there with St. Fiacre. Thanks for bringing my attention to him on this day. Yes, we should all be instruments of peace, grace and love. Thanks for the reminder.~~Dee
St Francis was such a cool saint, wasn't he? He is the patron saint of the environment, so quite an appropriate saint for gardeners to think about.
Sweet post, Carol!
The women in my family have been Fans of Francis for generations and Franciscan sisters were the teachers and administrators at my high school.
Do you like the prayer as a song? There are several versions by different composers – my favorite was written by Sebastian Temple. Here's a Choral performance of Temple's song on YouTube.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose